Hospitals: North East

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent meetings his Department has had with representatives from the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust on financing for new hospital construction; what his Department's policy is on allowing such financing to proceed; and if he will make it his policy to implement the plan put forward by Lord Darzi of Denham regarding configuration of acute health care north of the Tees if funding for a new hospital cannot be secured. [182052]

Jane Ellison: The chief executive of the Trust, Alan Foster, and the Finance Director, Lynne Hodgson, met departmental officials in June last year to discuss progress with this scheme and officials are in regular contact with the Trust as part of the process of assessing the Trust's Outline Business Case. Meetings with Trust representatives are ongoing, most recently on 9 January this year.

The Trust has submitted an Outline Business Case to the Department for a private finance funded scheme under HM Treasury's new ‘Private Finance 2’ procurement model (launched in 2012, this is the replacement for the Private Finance Initiative). The Trust is also seeking a public capital contribution. Departmental officials and Monitor are now reviewing the financial plans to establish whether the Trust has demonstrated robustly that it can afford its proposed scheme. Monitor's conclusions will inform the Department's consideration.

The reconfiguration of health services is a matter for the national health service locally. The Momentum: “pathways to healthcare” reconfiguration programme, which includes proposals for changes to services at the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, has been developed locally by the Trust, in liaison with local commissioners, to implement the recommendations made by the Independent Reconfiguration Panel in 2006. The local NHS continues to work on plans to progress the Momentum programme.

Hospitals: Staff

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2013, Official Report, column 245W, on hospitals: staff, what his policy is on cases where hospitals operate below the locally agreed minimum safe staffing level. [182295]

Dr Poulter: The Government's response to the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust public inquiry, “Hard Truths: The Journey to Putting Patients First”, set out the expectation that from April 2014, and by June 2014 at the latest, national health service trusts will publish ward-level information on whether they are meeting their staffing requirements and every six months trust boards will be required to undertake a detailed review of staffing using evidence based tools.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), through its Chief Inspector of Hospitals, will monitor this performance and take action where non-compliance puts patients at risk of harm, and appropriate staffing levels will be a core element of the CQC's registration regime.

Following the Francis Inquiry, the CQC introduced radical changes to hospital inspections, with a new chief inspector, Sir Mike Richards, leading significantly bigger inspection teams which are headed up by clinical and other experts. The new chief inspector will make authoritative judgments about the quality of care and recommend that action is taken when he identifies failing providers.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the draft Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation minutes of 2 October 2013, which organisation or individual advised the Joint Committee to conduct an independent review of the health economic components of the cost-effectiveness evaluation of Bexsero; and on what grounds such advice was provided. [182115]

Jane Ellison: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) was advised to conduct an independent review of the health economic components of the cost-effectiveness evaluation of Bexsero by the meningococcal sub-committee of the JCVI following their meeting of 20 September 2013.

On 24 July 2013, JCVI published an interim statement on the use of Bexsero® in the United Kingdom. A period of consultation followed and comments were invited and received from key stakeholders. Having considered information in the stakeholder submissions, the meningococcal sub-committee advised JCVI that a review of the cost-effectiveness evaluation of Bexsero® was appropriate.

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Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, following the publication of the draft Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation minutes of 2 October 2013, what the scope is of (a) the Joint Public Health England-JCVI-NICE-Department for Health working group, (b) membership and (c) timelines for reporting; and if he will ensure the deliberations and final advice of that group are made public. [182116]

Jane Ellison: The intention to establish a Joint Public Health England (PHE)-JCVI-NICE-Department of Health working group was stated in the draft Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) minutes of 2 October 2013. PHE and the Department are currently scoping the membership of this working group and proposals will be considered at the next JCVI meeting which will take place on 11 and 12 February 2014. Timelines for reporting and mechanisms for publicising appropriate aspects of the group’s deliberations will be considered at this time.

Meningitis

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases there were of (a) meningitis C in 1998 and (b) meningitis B in 2012. [182126]

Jane Ellison: Public Health England surveillance data indicate that there were (a) 815 laboratory confirmed cases of meningitis C in England and Wales in 1998 and (b) 611 laboratory confirmed cases of meningitis B in England and Wales in 2012.

Mental Health Services

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans the NHS has to record the ethnicity of patients who die while detained in mental health units; and if he will make a statement; [181691]

(2) how many people have died in each year since 2000 while detained or resident in (a) an NHS mental health unit and (b) any other mental health unit funded by the NHS. [181692]

Norman Lamb: Regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 requires registered mental health providers to notify the Care Quality Commission (CQC) about deaths of people detained or liable to be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. The statutory notification form includes a record of the person's ethnicity.

Information on the number of people who have died in each year, while detained or resident in either a national health service or other mental health funded unit is not available for the full period in the format requested.

However, the Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) on Deaths in Custody, part of the Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody, has published data on deaths of people detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 between 2000 and 2011: “The Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody: Statistical Analysis of all recorded deaths of individuals detained in state custody between 1 January 2000 and December 2011”.

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The report shows the number of deaths recorded for patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 between 2000 and 2011 as follows:

These figures include deaths of detained patients in any unit registered with the CQC to detain patients under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Data on deaths of detained patients since 2011 will be published by the CQC later in January 2014.

Data on deaths of mental health in-patients are available via data collected by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Secondary data analysis would be necessary to identify the deaths of voluntary patients.

Nervous System

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the effect of disinvestment in spinal surgery by NHS trusts on neighbouring hospitals; [182602]

(2) what assessment he has made of the effect on health outcomes of patients classified as urgent facing above-average waiting times for spinal surgery; and what steps he is taking to mitigate adverse effects arising from such waiting times. [182603]

Jane Ellison: The Department has made no assessment of the effect of any changes in the level of spending on spinal surgery by national health service trusts on neighbouring hospitals and of the effect on health outcomes of patients classified as urgent facing above-average waiting times for surgery.

All patients have the right to be treated within 18 weeks, and the NHS should take all reasonable steps to offer patients a range of alternative providers if this is not possible. Excessive waits for spinal surgery are unacceptable. Where there are excessive waits we would expect plans to be in place to resolve this.

More than a million patients are treated each month and the vast majority of patients are continuing to receive treatment within the 18-week target. All the referral-to-treatment standards continue to be met at a national level.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Mr Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislative proposals to make it a criminal offence to suspend NHS staff for raising clinical concerns. [182280]

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Dr Poulter: This Government have no legislative plans to make it a criminal offence to suspend national health service staff for raising clinical concerns. Decisions regarding suspension of staff are made at a local level by the employing organisation.

However it is absolutely critical that all staff working within the NHS feel able to speak up and raise concerns about patient safety and that NHS organisations take concerns seriously and act on them.

We expect all NHS organisations to have in place whistleblowing policies that are compliant with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 and best practice guidance. We have also made it clear to NHS organisations that they should have policies and procedures in place which support and encourage staff to raise legitimate concerns, and which actively promote the benefits of openness and transparency, driving up a safer NHS where patients can be confident of receiving high-quality care.

The current legal protection available to whistleblowers is strong. We secured a Government amendment to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 to strengthen protections available to whistleblowers. We further enhanced these by amendments to the NHS Constitution, making it clear to NHS staff what their legal rights are and emphasising the responsibility placed on Trusts contracted to provide NHS services to respond through the pledge.

NHS: Minimum Wage

Mr Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) women and (b) men employed by the NHS in Bolton North East constituency receive wages at the national minimum rate. [182298]

Dr Poulter: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 7 January 2014, Official Report, column 203W.

NHS: Standards

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure compassionate care in the NHS. [901955]

Mr Jeremy Hunt: This Government are determined that care and compassion should be at the heart of everything the national health service does.

Building on the lessons of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, we have introduced a rigorous new inspection regime with a predominant focus on care, and have taken a series of steps to drastically improve transparency and openness in the NHS.

Under this Government, whistleblowers have been actively encouraged to speak out about poor care, and have been given increased protections rather than silenced.

Portman Group

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will publish the dates, agendas and minutes of any meetings Ministers and officials in his Department have had with representatives of the Portman Group since May 2010; [182623]

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(2) how many times Ministers and officials from his Department have met representatives of the Portman Group since May 2010. [182715]

Jane Ellison: Officials in the alcohol policy team meet drinks industry representatives on a regular basis in the course of their normal activities, primarily through the Responsibility Deal. Since May 2010 there have been approximately 77 meetings at which representatives of the Portman Group were present. This includes meetings with attendees from outside the industry, such as the Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network.

Details of ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published quarterly in arrears on the Department's website at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-of-health&publication_type=transparency-data

Details of the Responsibility Deal Alcohol Network and Responsibility Deal Plenary group are publicly available on the Responsibility Deal website. This includes notes of the meetings.

https://responsibilitydeal.dh.gov.uk/alcohol-network-group-meeting-papers

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Publichealthresponsibilitydeal/Plenarygroup/DH_123047

The Department will continue to publish such papers.

Respiratory System

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons respiratory health is not represented as a responsibility of any Minister in his Department in the List of Ministerial Responsibilities published in December 2013. [182611]

Jane Ellison: I am the Minister responsible for respiratory health.

The List of Ministerial Responsibilities is intended to illustrate the areas each Minister covers. Given the large number of areas covered by each Minister, the list is not exhaustive.

Slaughterhouses: Horses

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which UK establishments are (a) licensed to slaughter horses and (b) currently slaughter horses. [182622]

Jane Ellison: The Food Standards Agency advises that the following slaughterhouses are approved to slaughter horses:

2163-Peter Boddy, Todmorden

4140-G & GB Hewitt Ltd, Chester

8070-Philip Hayman, Ottery St Mary

8231-Stillmans (Somerset) Ltd, Taunton

The following slaughterhouses are currently slaughtering horses:

2163-Peter Boddy, Todmorden

8231-Stillmans (Somerset) Ltd, Taunton

8070-Philip Hayman, Ottery St Mary

Although horses have recently been slaughtered at 8070-Philip Hayman, Ottery St Mary, these were on an exceptional basis and not routinely slaughtered.

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Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many horses were slaughtered in each licensed establishment in the UK in 2013. [182723]

Jane Ellison: The Food Standards Agency records the number of solipeds (a mammal having a single hoof on each foot, including horses, hinnies, mules and asses) slaughtered in the United Kingdom, the majority of which are horses.

The total number of solipeds slaughtered in UK approved establishments in the period of January 2013 to November 2013 is 4,505. Complete figures are not currently available for December 2013. The number of horses slaughtered in each of the UK-approved establishments has not been provided as the release of this information is commercially sensitive.

Sugar

Mike Thornton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on limiting the amount of sugar in food and drink. [182558]

Jane Ellison: We have challenged business, through our Responsibility Deal calorie reduction pledge, to take action to help people eat fewer calories. This can include helping reduce sugar consumption. 38 businesses are already taking action; for example, soft drinks manufacturers who are signed up to the calorie reduction pledge are reducing sugar in their drinks. Ministers and officials are continuing to engage with business to encourage greater sign up to the calorie reduction pledge along with other Responsibility Deal food pledges.

The Government are also helping consumers to reduce their calorie intake by providing practical advice through NHS Choices and via Change4Life campaigns.

Surgical Dressings

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that wound dressings should be provided free of charge for patients in post-operative care who have been discharged from hospital. [182077]

Norman Lamb: There are no plans to change the current prescription charging arrangements for dressings supplied to patients in post-operative care who have been discharged from hospital.

In 2010, responding to Professor Ian Gilmore's review into extending entitlement to free prescriptions to all those with a long-term condition, the Government made it clear that in the light of the challenging financial context, no changes would be made to the current list of exemptions. Prescription charges in England raise valuable income, in the region of £450 million each year, which helps the national health service to maintain vital services for patients.

An extensive range of exemptions, based on age, income and medical condition, are already in place to support those who may struggle to pay for their prescriptions. Around 90% of prescriptions are dispensed free of charge. Prescription Prepayment Certificates (PPCs) are also available for those who have to pay NHS prescription charges and need multiple prescriptions. With the annual PPC, someone can obtain as many

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items as they need for £2 a week. The price of the annual certificate has now been frozen for the fourth successive year, and the three-month PPC has been frozen for two years.

Vaccination

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role his Department's analytical team plays in vaccine evaluations relating to cost-effectiveness which are undertaken by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. [182103]

Jane Ellison: The role of the Department's Health Protection Analytical Team (HPAT) in relation to the development of the Department's immunisation policy is to carry out and advise on operational and economic analysis, including cost-effectiveness analysis. HPAT also has a role in providing standard inputs into cost-effectiveness models, such as the cost of vaccine administration by general practitioners or schools, and in the quality control of external analyses. As part of these roles HPAT provides advice on disease modelling and health economics to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) at the request of the JCVI and the Department. In addition the team is involved in the evaluation of vaccine tenders in relation to cost-effectiveness and net health benefits. HPAT also provides assurance to the Departmental Chief Analyst and Economist (and thence to Ministers) of the quality of modelling, cost-effectiveness and other analysis used by the Department in immunisation policy development, including that considered by the JCVI.

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of lives saved following the introduction of the (a) maternal pertussis programme and (b) recent measles vaccination programme. [182104]

Jane Ellison: Public Health England collects surveillance data on diseases including pertussis and measles and monitors the uptake of routine vaccination programmes. Evaluation of the maternal pertussis vaccination programme introduced on 1 October 2012, in response to a high number of infant cases and deaths, suggests that it has been highly effective in preventing hospitalisations and deaths due to pertussis in young infants. In 2012, there were 14 pertussis-related infant deaths and one infant death in 2013.

The measles, mumps and rubella catch-up campaign for 10 to 16-year-olds was launched in April 2013 to prevent widespread measles outbreaks in England. Fortunately deaths from measles are extremely rare. Between 2008 and 2012, there was one measles-related death in England and Wales.

Sir Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to prevent an outbreak of meningococcal B meningitis and septicaemia in universities in the UK in the light of the emergency vaccination scheme set up at Princeton university after an outbreak there in late 2013. [182112]

Jane Ellison: Public Health England has published and regularly updates guidelines for the control of outbreaks of meningococcal disease (see: “Guidance

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for public health management of meningococcal disease in the UK”) and also provides advice through the “Green Book” (Immunisation against infectious disease). This guidance is informed by United Kingdom and global infectious disease surveillance data, epidemiological studies and expert opinion. Additional guidance for the specific prevention of invasive meningococcal capsular group B (MenB) disease has been developed and an interim version is available online. The final guidance

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will be published as soon as it has completed the internal approvals processes.

Collectively, these documents provide detailed recommendations to prevent and control further cases of meningococcal disease following an outbreak in a university or any other educational setting. For MenB outbreaks, current recommendations include use of antibiotics and the recently-licensed MenB vaccine, Bexsero®, where appropriate.